Improving Nutrition for All
- North Africa and the Middle East, Afghanistan
- Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12
- Environment, Health, Language Arts & Literature, Science, Social Studies & Geography
In this WebQuest, students focus on nutrition - including undernutrition and overweight and obesity - as critical issues in the field of global health. Students consider the causes and effects of key nutritional problems and analyze their global impacts. They will also consider solutions to nutrition issues facing both the U.S. and the world at large. Finally, students will select a nutritional issue currently in the news. After finding several news articles addressing the issue, students will compose a letter to the editor that integrates information they have collected and articulates their opinion on how the problem should be addressed.
More about how Peace Corps Volunteers address global issues:
- Global Issues | Nutrition (see link above)
- Peace Corps - What do Volunteers do? - Agriculture
More about nutrition in the world:
- World Health Organization - Nutrition
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) - Human Nutrition
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID) - Nutrition
More about nutrition in the United States:
- Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) - Nutrition
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - MyPlate
- Students will discuss the basic nutritional needs of the human body and how these can be met.
- Students will describe major issues related to undernutrition and possible ways to address these problems.
- Students will analyze global trends related to obesity.
- Students will articulate informed opinions about a nutrition issue in the news.
- Student access to computers with Internet and audio
- Introduce the theme of nutrition. In small groups, have students brainstorm nutrition issues that affect the United States and in that affect world. After generating a list of ideas, have students note the similarities and differences they perceive between domestic and international nutrition concerns.
- Explain to students that they will be engaging in a WebQuest, in which they will investigate nutrition nationally and globally, including how Peace Corps Volunteers are addressing the issue in communities around the world. If students are unfamiliar with Peace Corps, view the video A Legacy of Service . Explain that students will apply their WebQuest research to compose a letter to the editor of a newssource in response to a current globally-relevant nutrition issue of their choice.
- In the computer lab, direct students to the Improving Nutrition for All WebQuest.On the Student Page, read the Introduction and Task sections together, demonstrating how to navigate through the WebQuest and collect information requested on the data collection sheet.
- Allow time for students to work on the WebQuest independently, in pairs, or in small groups. Provide assistance to students as needed during their work time, especially as students seek relevant news articles around current global nutrition issues.
- Use evidence from students' data collection sheets and letters to the editor to evaluate students' work in the Evaluation section.
- Use the questions in the Conclusion section of the WebQuest to guide a class discussion, or ask for students' verbal or written reflections.
To engage students in further interdisciplinary exploration, see the teaching suggestions listed in Investigating Nutrition .
Frameworks & Standards
- Nutrition has many implications for one's wellbeing and quality of life.
- Both undernutrition and overweight/obesity are critical global issues.
- There are many social, cultural, and environmental factors that influence nutrition.
- What do our bodies need in order to be well nourished?
- How does nutrition relate to other global issues?
- What can we do to improve nutrition in our own communities and in our world?
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
- Text types and purposes: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
Literacy in History/Social Studies
- Key Ideas and Details: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
- Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text .
National Science Education Standards
Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
- Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges
- Personal and community health
National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies
Thematic Strand IX: Global Connections
- Use maps, charts, and databases to explore patterns and predict trends regarding global connections at the community, state, or national level
- Explore the causes, consequences, and possible solutions related to persistent, current, and emerging global issues